Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1887-02-18
The Veto of the Dependent Pension
Bill

Bill.
The general pension bill just vetoed by
President Cleveland introduced new
principle as applied to survivors OF the
civil war. The previous pension acts gave
pensions only for disabilities incurred in
Che service This new bill gave sl2 a
month TO every Union soldier who served
three months, who is dependent on his
own labor for his support, and who is in
capactqted for earning his own support,
by mental or physical disability hoWc0cr
52cUrrCd. The president Vetoes the Dill
in part because of the uncertainty OF us
language; and in part on account OF the
immense burden it would probably throw
upon the treasury. He says it is left in
doubt whether only those suffering from
total inability to earn their own support
would be entitled to the sl2 month or
whether those suffering from partial dis
ability would not also be included. He
ssyy in his veto message
The chairman of the committee on pen
sions in the House of Representatives,
who reported the bill, declared that there
was in il no provision for pensioning any
one who has Il less disability than total
disability to labor. The chairman of the
committee on pensions in the senate,
having charge of the bill in that body,
dissented from the construction of
the bill announced in the House
of Representatives, and declared that
It not only embraced all soldiers
totally disabled, but in his judgment all
who are disabled to any considerable eX-
tent. | am of the opinion that IL may
fairly be contended that under the pro
visions of this section any soldier whose
faculties of mind or body have become i'm
-,oiraI nv appi1pnt disease age. ire
speCtive of his service IN the army as a
cause, and who by his labor only Is lett IN
capable of gaining the falr support ne
might with unimpared powers nave pro,
gided for himself, anu VINO Is hot SO Wen
endowed with this worlds goods as TO i've
without work, may claim TO participate IN
It's bounty. tnat it is not required that he
should be without property, but only that
Labor should be necessary 10 his support
IN some degree nor Is 1t required that ne
should be now receiving support from
others.
"While cost should not be set against
patriotic duty or the recognition OF
right, still, when measure proposed Is
5as ed upon generosity or motives of char
ity, it is not amiss to mediate somewhat
upon the expense which 1t involves. FX-
peri ence has demonstrated, l believe, that
all estimates concerning the probable fu-
ture cost of a pension list are uncertain
and unreliable and always tall far below
actual realization. The chairman OF the
House committee on pensions calculates
that the number of pensioners under this
bill would be %, l05, and the increased an
lual cost I''6Hl2o; this upon
.ne entoiH 'nu. ohty ,,nrL ,,,o mG
ne its hnnedciaries Snch was the nrinci-
pie of the revolutionary pension law of
ISIS. much more clearly stated, 1t seems
70 70, me- man III inns DILL neii uile law vi
nnnher Of" ~ ne me ta I've benefitted
thereby was thought to be 374 but the
number of applicants under the act was
!2,29,, and the number OF pensions actual
"ItoWeu ~o'too, Costtu nl, ~ - 4 .1u
o01 tha esti;natad avnanse for thai neriod
A law was passed in 1853 for the benefit
Of the surviving widows of revolutionary
3oldiers VINO were marrled AFTER Jan. y
90 800 ~ of .ti'U umeS Of tho
act Int the number of pensions allowed
was 3472 and the amount paid for such
alton of the act was $50. 600. instead of